


The Mistletoe

by ChatoyantPenumbra



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga), Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Party, F/F, Fluff, M/M, Mistletoe, Multi, also Kaiba doesn't come to these parties he's too busy being a snooty billionaire lmao, have I mentioned Atem and Yusei are practically Judai's dads, holiday party, it's adorable alright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 02:10:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17153324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChatoyantPenumbra/pseuds/ChatoyantPenumbra
Summary: There's nothing like a holiday party and fond memories of Christmases past to warm the soul.





	The Mistletoe

**Author's Note:**

> HHHHHHHHHH I haven't published anything in actual decades. A lot of things have come up in my personal life which is why I haven't been able to work on Covenant or fics in general, but I swear I'm trying and doing it at a snail's pace.
> 
> Full disclosure: this fic is ABSOLUTELY influenced by the fact that I'm spending my Christmas in New York City this year again. Thought I'd give my favorite boys a little NYC Christmas party spice. The premise is that they met at NYU and graduated together, and every year the 5DX gang gets together for Christmas like they did in college to enjoy the holidays.

“Tell me, Yusei, how long has it been?”

 

The sound of music wafts in from the next room, where the smell of a freshly cut pine tree also emanates its crisp, woody scent and fills the space with the feeling of all Christmases past. The chatter around them is ceaseless, and yet it can be described as nothing but comfortable as the two sit on the couch, enjoying the heat that the cozy fire blazing just paces away in the brick fireplace offers them.

 

Atem gazes into the flames, lost in thought—he’s always been a man fonder of the heat than the cold, so it’s no wonder the fire and the warm body beside him lull him into a state of relaxation even in the face of the bitter New York City winter—before his charoite eyes shift to his companion in query.

 

Sapphire hues are on him already, and it’s something that the native Egyptian has always loved about the man. Yusei is attentive, eyes lingering in such earnest that Atem can’t help but appreciate, many times even without prompt. It’s always been that way, he now recalls, because even since the beginning he’s found that their gazes have caught in the most magnetizing of ways, clinging to each other like the chemistry is dictated by the very pull of the universe. Every time, he has to resist the temptation to shudder.

 

A smile touches Atem’s amethyst eyes, and his hands shift on glass of wine in his grasp as he leans farther back to recline against the seat. His shoulder nestles against Yusei’s arm, which is slung over the back of the couch and resting comfortably on his other side. Fingers twitch against his forearm; Atem nearly grins wider, stupidly. Still in love.

 

“It’s been… four years since we graduated. Six years, then.”

 

The sound of piano comes to a pleasant halt, and their attention is drawn away for just a moment when their friends clap for the informal performance. Aki stands from her seat at the cushioned bench and curtsies ever so slightly with the folds of her dress and a nod of acknowledgement, then a light touch meets Yusei’s shoulder; it’s Bruno as he rises from the loveseat adjacent to them, heading to the piano with a jovial grin.

 

“Time to put those lessons to the test, right Yusei?”

 

Fudo chuckles quietly as he gives his friend a solid thumbs-up and watches him go. He passes Aki as she pauses just briefly under the mistletoe whilst Sherry offers her a firm peck on the lips and whispers something against her rose hair.

 

“Hardly feels like it’s been five years since the first time we did that, too.” Atem’s voice is colored by a deep chuckle, but his voice is low enough that the comment goes by unnoticed by everyone but his lover. He glances over, and he finds Yusei’s cheeks tinted by the same hue of Aki’s tresses. Atem knows the whiskey in the man’s hand isn’t responsible.

 

Five years, and he’s still embarrassed over the same, old things. Sweet, naïve Yusei.

 

His eyes then flicker to Judai, who’s too busy gobbling up his weight in roast ham and mashed potatoes alongside Johan—whilst pestering Manjoume, nonetheless—to notice. The memories come flooding back as Atem beckons them, recalling just how keen the youth had been on picking up the chemistry that had sparked to life between them, and how eager he had been to throw them at each other. The more they shied away, the harder he had pushed back. The kid was determined, if nothing else.

 

“Six years since he shoved us together under that thing,” Atem continues, and Yusei’s face might as well be the color of the fire as he turns his head away in embarrassment. “Remember how we couldn’t…”

 

“You don’t have to remind me, Atem. I remember.” It’s the closest thing to a whine Atem can fathom coming from him, and he swears the glance that Yusei shoots his way is more of a plea for mercy than it is a glare. He can’t stop the laugh that leaves him.

 

 _Truly,_ sweet, naïve Yusei.

 

Atem turns forward again, letting his gaze fall back to the glass of red cradled in his russet hands. He remembers, it had taken them a full year to bring themselves to actually kiss in public, at the same party, in this same room, with practically all the same people, on the same day. Neither of them had ever been much for public displays of affection; after all, when it came to romance, neither of them were outspoken, and similarly both were hesitant to admit their feelings to themselves, and even more so to each each other later on, never mind others. Not only that, but they agreed intimacy was better kept behind closed doors, where the true nature of their affections had really begun to shine and take unshakeable root.

 

Notwithstanding, they couldn’t deny that first public kiss was fundamental to the development of their relationship. It was no longer a rumor, something that their friends would whisper jokingly to each other the more suspect it became over time. Study dates turned more explicitly into actual dates, and annoying as it was for Yusei to have Crow and Martha—and Atem to have Yugi and Jounouchi— teasing him about it on the regular, it was time everyone knew for certain.

 

Yusei and Atem were together, and no one could take that away from them.

 

It took a year, but they finally managed to kiss under that mistletoe hanging on the living room threshold when they thought no one was paying attention. It was brief, shy, fleeting, but they should have known a rascal like Judai would have exploded into applause like he did, shouting the line neither of them could ever forget:

 

“ _It’s about damn time!! I thought I was going to die of old age before you guys finally kissed!_ ”

 

When everyone else joined in on it, Atem had thought the both of them were going to die of embarrassment, standing right there under the damn thing with no means of escape. Now he can’t help but find humor in it, even if Yusei still struggles to move past feeling exactly as he did.

 

Atem’s hand grazes Yusei’s thigh, just above his knee, and he slouches comfortably into his lover’s side. Yusei’s breath is warm on his neck, smelling faintly so of his cologne and the scent of whiskey, and the Egyptian man leans his head closer so he can speak with more discretion.

 

“It doesn’t have to be under the mistletoe,” he mumbles, and their eyes lock in the way they have since the beginning, intent and understanding, and in the way they always will.

 

Yusei’s hand closes gently, firmly over Atem’s opposite shoulder, and their lips meet subtly in the warmth of the room, smelling of pine and holly.

 

Judai catches them again, but this time, he says nothing, going right on stuffing his face with his own hand curled around Johan’s beneath the table.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it!! Please comment if you did and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!


End file.
